[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

3188.0. "Bireli Lagrene" by PIET09::DESROCHERS (psdv.pko.dec.com/tomd/home.html) Tue Mar 19 1996 05:41

	Did the mandatory dir/title and didn't find anything for
	Bireli Lagrene.  I know I posted something in here about
	him but maybe it was in a jazz guitar note.

	Anyway, I've been listening to his CD "Standards" in the
	car constantly for the last week or so and it really is
	killer!  It's from 1992 on EMI and the tunes are;

	C'est si Bon			Henri Betti
	Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise	Oscar Hammerstein
	Days of Wind and Roses		Johnny Mercer / Henry Mancini
	Stella by Starlight		Ned Washington / Victor Young
	Smile				John Turner,...
	Autumn Leaves			Jacques Prevert
	Teach Me Tonight		Sammy Cahn
	Donna Lee			Charlie Parker
	Boby and Soul			Edward Heyman,...
	Ornithology			Charlie Parker
	How Insensitive			Antonio Carlos Jobim...
	Nuages				Django Reinhardt

	Musicians are;

	Andre' Ceccarelli		Drums
	Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen	Bass

	For me, the biggest disappointment is Pedersen's solos.  I've
	loved him with Joe Pass but he is so unmusical here it's sad.
	Luckily, his support playing is fine.  

	Again for me, Bireli sounds like an out of control Pat Martino.
	Extremely fast playing over great chords progressions.  He's
	nowhere near Pat when it comes to execution but man can he
	rip over changes!!  

	I guess he was still in his early 20's when this was recorded.
	He was promoted as the new, young Django when he first came out.

	If you like Pat's 60's music, you'll probably enjoy Bireli
	Lagrene too.

	Anyone else familiar with him?

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
3188.1that's a good oneGAVEL::DAGGTue Mar 19 1996 06:4916
    I have "Standards" also.  Its amazing.  I made the mistake
    of trying to transcribe the first tune.  Too hard for
    me!  But he swings it wonderfully.  And who is the
    singer that made that one famous?   
    
    I don't know his other recordings.  I saw one
    that had Jaco on it.  Live one.  
    
    He was supposed to play Scullers awhile back, but
    he cancelled. 
    
    There may be some discussion on him in JAZZ. 
    
    Dave
    
    
3188.2DREGS::BLICKSTEINGeneral MIDITue Mar 19 1996 07:2115
    I was dissappointed with my first and admittedly "only" listen to
    Birelli.   I think it may have been because he was so often compared
    to Django and I ended up dissappointed that he was not "another
    Django".
    
    However, as I've often said, I rarely like anything on the first listen
    but I never really had another opportunity for another free listen.
    
    My girlfriend and I went to an inn where they had a music room (with
    grand piano, guitars, etc), a great stereo, and a large collection
    of jazz and classical CDs.   We spent the whole time reading, playing
    and trying to get thru as many of the CDs as we could.  One of
    Birelli's CDs was in the collection.
    
    	db
3188.3pass the triscuitsRICKS::CALCAGNIwhat if dogs were one of us?Tue Mar 19 1996 07:489
    re Birelli and Jaco live
    
    if that's the one recorded in Germany ("Munich Nights"?) I wouldn't
    recommend it.  Pure Velveeta.  This was recorded during the mid-80's
    when Jaco was up and down a lot.  He sorta mails this one in and
    Birelli sounds uninspired; most of it borders on muzak.
    
    /rick
    
3188.4pointerRANGER::WEBERWed Mar 20 1996 13:461
    See 1535.88
3188.5InfernoCRONIC::PCUMMINGSWhat They DidThu Mar 21 1996 07:0214
    I like "Standards" too.  Wine & Roses swings!   Also have "Acoustic
    Moments" which is kind of uneven but has some nice stuff here and 
    there.  The production is kind of 'smooth'.  Then I have an earlier
    fusion one of his which has some smoking stuff on it - it's called
    "Inferno".  Has some great players on it too.  Bill Evans (sax),,
    Victor Bailey (bass), Dennis Chambers, Bernard Purdie, Dave Weckl
    on drums, Don Alias on percussion.  For me, half of it is out-
    standing.  I think he did another one before or after "Inferno"
    called "Foriegn Affairs".  Not sure if it was ever on CD, think
    it's out of print.  Similar vein and Jaco played on one or two
    cuts.  Anybody have that ? 
    
    /paul
    
3188.6PIET09::DESROCHERSpsdv.pko.dec.com/tomd/home.htmlMon May 13 1996 07:3233
	Picked up "My Favorite Django" at Tower yesterday.  It's Bireli's
	modernized versions of some of his favorites.

	Recorded in '95, the tunes are;

		Daphne
		Moppin' the Bride
		Babik
		Melodie au Crepuscule
		Place de Brouckere
		Nuages
		Blues for Ike
		Nuits de Saint Germain des Pres
		Clair de Lune (Kosma/Beaurouge)
		Troublant Bolero
		Solo

	Musicians are;	Koono - keys
			Dennis Chambers	- drums
			Anthony Jackson - bass

	No pointy headstock sounds on this CD.  He thanks Yamaha guitars
	and it's a hollowbody on the cover.  I like this sound better than
	on "Standards".  Once again, his playing is terrific.  He really
	takes some crazy chances so if you like traditional jazz with some
	very fast playing you should like this.  He also takes a few solos
	on acoustic a la Django.

	Really nice stuff!!

	Tom

3188.7whoa!RICKS::CALCAGNIjust back'in over the catsMon May 13 1996 09:010
3188.8PIET01::DESROCHERSpsdv.pko.dec.com/tomd/home.htmlThu Aug 15 1996 12:1113
    
    	So, am I the only one loving this CD?  Had Rockin' Ron Ross
    	over the other night and we listened to it about 8 times.
    
    	I get the feeling that Bireli just plays for the moment and
    	goes for it.  Every solo feels like he'd do it differently
    	the next time.  Improvising over a ballad is as tough as it
    	gets and he seems to just fly with no problems.  
    
    	Ray heard a little the other day.  Any comments, Mr Marshall?
    
    	Tom
    
3188.9ASABET::pelkey.ogo.dec.com::pelkeyprofessional hombreThu Aug 15 1996 12:4117
    < Ray heard a little the other day.  Any comments, Mr Marshall?

Tom,, let me tell ya,, Marshalls stink,,  I'll never
buy one!!!  Life just aint any freakin good,..,,

Teles are o.k. as a third guitar though,,, how  bout it ????

		:^)


but seriously, he's a very smooth player, from 
(what I heard, and that was maybe three tunes while we
were talkin..) 

the guys got the jazz shtick down, some nice stuff...  
I'll problably pick some of his stuff up eventually..

3188.10PIET01::DESROCHERSpsdv.pko.dec.com/tomd/home.htmlThu Aug 15 1996 13:0313
    
    	Raymondo - it would be my 4th guitar...  just tried to convince
    	a third person to grab your Tele but he wants an acoustic.
    
    	Anyone looking for a dead mint Tele should grab it!
    
    	re: Bireli - it's funny but "jazz schtick" and "smooth" do describe
    	his playing but not quite.  Yeah, it's smooth but what I like most
    	about him is how he seems to play on the edge.  Reminds me of the
    	60's and early 70's Martino.   
    
    	Tom
    
3188.11ASABET::pelkey.ogo.dec.com::pelkeyprofessional hombreFri Aug 16 1996 07:396
hey, thanks for the plug,,  Fred Waivile (maybe misspelling his
name) is supposed to come out to stow today and look at..

Fred, you there ????

/r
3188.12Coryell/Lagrene/Cobham Jun 25 @ScullersSANITY::PCUMMINGSThe perfect democracyMon Jun 02 1997 09:1613
    I see that Mr Lagrene is coming to Scullers as a part of Larry
    Coryell's "Spaces Revisited" band also featuring Billy Cobham.  Lagrene
    apparently replacing John McLaughlin 8>) from the LP of the same name
    back in the early 70's.  Don't know who else is in the band. The date is 
    Wednesday, June 25th.  
    
    Should be some chops thrown around that night, ehh?
    
    Would like to hear Birelli play live sometime, not sure if this would 
    be best venue!
    
    pc
    
3188.13Maybe...56744::HARMONPaul Harmon, ACMSxp EngineeringMon Jun 02 1997 12:3719
    re:  Coryell/Lagrene/Cobham Jun 25 @Scullers
    
    I've been thinking about checking that show out; how interested I am
    kind of depends on who they get to play bass at this point.  I recently 
    dug "Spaces" out and listened to it for the first time in many years.
    I had forgotten how well Miroslav and Billy played together on this (or
    maybe I just didn't notice as much way back when).
    
    I'm kind of wary because the only other time I saw Coryell live, his
    overall approach would have suited hammering nails better than playing 
    the guitar...he sounded like his main objective was to break some
    strings.
    
    Sadly, I recall that that occasion happened to be a gig at Blues Alley
    in D.C. where the second half of the show had a surprise guest artist:
    Emily Remler.  I still remember how easy she made some seriously
    non-trivial playing seem.
    
    Paul
3188.14PIET09::DESROCHERSpsdv.mro.dec.com/tomd/home.htmlMon Jun 02 1997 13:334
    I'd definitely be there if it was a Bireli led show.  Coryell, to me,
    is pretty sloppy at times.  I wonder if he'd let Bireli really play.
    Interesting lineup though.  I'm familiar with Miroslav when he was with
    Weather Report.  
3188.15SANITY::PCUMMINGSThe perfect democracyTue Jun 03 1997 07:437
    Ditto on Coryell.  Sometimes, I don't know what his point is.  I too
    would be a definite if it were a Bireli gig. As a matter of fact,
    several months ago, Lagrene cancelled a gig at Scullers about a week or
    2 prior to the date.  Never heard what happened. 
    
    pc